Realistic Equipment with a Fantasy Flair

The RME Homebrew gives extra options, more damage, and greater flexibility to the equipment of martial classes. It is an attempt to make each weapon feel unique and interesting, and give the average fighter more to do on their turn, rather than simply attack, roll a couple of damage dice, then wait for the next turn.

The equipment in this system is not only lifted from the core rules, but several dozen more were added for fantasy concepts and to cover a wide range of cultures and time frames at home in a medieval fantasy setting. The weapons are no longer divided into "simple" and "martial" categories, rather each weapon, shield, and armor is now part of a group of similar equipment, such as axes, bludgeons, or polearms.

Different shields and armors are now available, having greater flexibility on what to do with your shield, and having greater historical accuracy on what types of armors were made and worn by medieval peoples. In general, RME weapons and equipment find similar roles as what was found in ancient combat history, while also blending fantasy elements such as returning boomerangs or dual wielding crossbows.

Martial Interactions

There are a few tweaks and adjustments to the core rules of 5e to accommodate the Revised Martial Equipment system presented here, as well as some important things to note about the RME system itself while using it.

RME Master Feats and Perks

Each equipment group lists a feat that a character can take to gain unique abilities with the equipment of that group.

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When you take a group master feat, you gain master training with all equipment in that group. When you have master training with any weapon, either by the feat or some other means, you have access to that weapon's master perk.

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All master feats apply to that group only. For example, if you have taken Combat Blade Master, which grants you advantage on opportunity attacks, you only have this advantage when using a Combat Blade to make the opportunity attack.

All master perks apply to that weapon only. For example, if you have master training with the Battleaxe, which grants you rerolls on damage if you roll a 1 or 2, you cannot wield a battleaxe and reroll all damage rolls from other weapons or sources. The damage rerolls only apply to the battleaxe and its attachers only.

Any perk which allows you to take a -5 penalty to add +10 damage does not stack with any other ability that allows you to do so, such as the feat Sharpshooter.

Some weapons in this system allow you to make one attack roll against more than one target, for example the fire lance which sprays fire in a 15 ft cone. When this happens, you roll one attack roll and compare it to all available target ACs, and choose one target to add your ability modifier in damage only. Any attachers such as sneak attack or smite are only applied to one target as well.

MARTIAL INTERACTIONS

Weapon Group Summaries

Special Lists

Definitions and Best Practices

• Attacher - Any damage which is not built into a normal weapon that is dealt on hits, such as Sneak attack, Smite, Elemental bonus damage, etc. Additionally, any weapon which attacks multiple targets with one attack can only apply the attacher to one target of your choosing, unless it states otherwise.

• Equipped - Items are equipped when they are held with as many hands as is required to use it properly. Some items are worn, such as hidden blades or cloaks, but to use them, they must be equipped. Equipping an item is done on your turn as an object interaction, like drawing a weapon. The weapon perks and usage as a reaction are impossible unless it is equipped at the end of your turn.

• Weapon AC - In this system, weapon AC doesn't stack, and doesn't stack with shields. Your weapon AC bonus is the highest available weapon AC which is added to AC.

• Martial Weapon - There are no "simple" or "martial" weapons in RME, only training levels. However, some mechanics and prerequisites reference martial weapons. While using this system, if you have basic training in any weapon which is not on the simple weapon list, you fulfill this mechanic or prerequisite.

Best Practices

These optional house rules make RME more fun and impactful but are not required for the system to work as intended.

• Flanking an enemy adds +2 to attack rolls when two creatures flank an enemy, and +5 if three or more creatures flank an enemy.
• Off hand and Double Ended attacks are made as part of your attack action if you have the feat Dual Wielder, or the Two-Weapon Fighting Style. Remember that you can only make one off hand or Double Ended attack, which is either your bonus action or part of your attack action.
• If you have the Grappler or Tavern Brawler feat, you gain a level of training with Unarmed Strike, and you can make unarmed deflect, trip, and disarm attacks.
• In RME, Basic training with Unarmed Strikes deals d4 bludgeoning damage. To balance any race which grants natural weapons such as Tabaxi claws or Lizardfolk bite, increase the damage dice size by one. A Tabaxi's claws would deal d6 slashing damage, for example. This further increases with any other ability or perk that increases your dice size from unarmed strikes. If you need to increase beyond d12, you use 2d8 and then 2d10, never d20.
• When you score a Critical hit, maximize your weapon or spell's dice damage, then roll the bonus damage from a Critical hit to prevent Critical Hits dealing less damage than a normal hit. Do not maximize attachers. The maximum damage dice does not count for Puncture.
• When you make an attack against a creature that you are grappling or that you are grappled by, you gain advantage if you make the attack with Light weapons, Unarmed Strikes or natural weapons such as Bite and Claw attacks. In contrast, you suffer disadvantage if you make the attack with a Heavy or Two Handed weapon. This also has an added benefit of making weapons with Versatile more versatile!

Weapon Properties

The following properties exist in RME and are assigned to various weapons to give them unique flavor and abilities.

Double Ended

When you take the attack action, you can make one additional attack as a bonus action using the damage listed plus your ability modifier, if you are within 5 ft of your target and wielding your weapon with two hands. Double Ended attacks do not benefit from any other weapon property, nor can they make special attacks such as Disarm, Entangle, or Trip. A Double Ended attack is strictly damage, but can benefit from attachers.

Entangle

When you hit with an Entangle attack, you deal only your Strength modifier in damage, minimum of 1, and force the enemy to succeed on its choice of a Strength or Dexterity saving throw or be grappled. To escape, the entangled target must succeed a grapple check against your weapon DC, gaining advantage if it is a size category larger than you. Creatures two size categories larger than you are immune to Entangle attacks from you. If you land a critical hit, your weapon deals normal damage in addition to forcing your enemy to roll the saving throw.

While you are holding the weapon entangling your target, you make a melee weapon attack that automatically hits, but which only deals damage equal to your Strength modifier, minimum 1. You can release an entangled enemy at any time. If you drop the weapon, the creature is immediately free.

Finesse

When making an attack with a finesse weapon, you may use Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls, and use Dexterity instead of Strength in your weapon DC equation.

Firearm

Rolling a 1 on an attack Roll causes this weapon to jam. It's still loaded, but a malfunction prevented ignition. As an action, you must clear the jam before it can make a ranged attack again. Firearm weapons can't make ranged attacks underwater, and if they are subjected to water such as from rain or a tidal wave spell, they gain +1 to their jam until you spend an action to dry them. All firearms create a sound which can be heard up to 300ft away.

Firearm weapons require gunpowder and either lead ball, bullet, or shot loaded into it to make a ranged attack. This ammunition is not recoverable.

Heavy

Category size Small creatures always suffer disadvantage to attack rolls with a heavy weapon. Tiny and smaller cannot wield this weapon.

Launch

On miss, this weapon lands on the ground within 5ft of the intended target. Roll a d8. The result is which square it lands in, starting with the square closest to you as 1, and counting clockwise until you reach the rolled number. An enemy in this square may still be affected if the Launch weapon says so.

Light

In order to dual wield two weapons, both weapons you wield must have this property. You can make an attack with your off-hand weapon as a bonus action, but don't add any ability modifier to damage. There is no requirement that your off hand weapon be melee in order to dual wield.

Lunge

If you use an attack action, you can use your reaction to attack a foe up to 5ft further than normal with all attacks for that turn, which can be combined with Reach. This ends with your turn and can't be used as part of an opportunity attack.

Melee

Melee weapons make a melee weapon attack at a target up to 5ft away, and add Strength modifier to attack and damage rolls.

One Handed

A one-handed weapon requires only one hand to wield, leaving the off-hand open to wield another weapon, shield, grapple, or be used for the somatic component of a spell.

Penetrate

These weapons easily penetrate armor. When you target an enemy wearing Medium or Heavy armor, or wielding a shield, you may add half your Strength modifier again to your attack roll if you wield a Penetrate weapon with one hand, and your full Strength modifier if you wield the weapon with two hands. If you are wielding a weapon with Penetrate and Finesse, you may add both your Dexterity and Strength modifier to your attack roll. Any ranged weapon which has Penetrate still uses Strength, and is a reflection of your ability to control the weapon as it fires.

Puncture

These piercing weapons deal significantly more damage if they hit a vital weak spot in the enemy. When you roll a maximum value with any of your weapon's damage dice, you can roll that dice again and add the result to the total damage dealt. This can keep happening as many times as you roll maximum values on damage dice, even on the new rolls.

Ranged

Ranged weapons make a ranged weapon attack using Dexterity for attack and damage rolls. It must be loaded with ammunition to make an attack. The ranged numbers list its normal and maximum range. When attacking enemies beyond the normal range or with an enemy within 5ft of you, you suffer disadvantage for that attack. A ranged weapon cannot attack targets beyond its maximum range.

Reach

This weapon adds 5 feet to your reach when you make a melee weapon attack, as well as for determining your reach for opportunity attacks with it. Note that if there is a creature between you and your enemy within reach, your enemy has half cover. Reach cannot be used to extend the range of a Double Ended attack.

Reload

Some ranged weapons take a time to reload, expressed in types of game actions. These game actions represent the time it takes to reset a weapon and prime it for launching another piece of ammunition, not necessarily how long it takes to draw another piece of ammunition and place it into the weapon. From fastest to slowest, these are; part of attack, object interaction, reaction, bonus, attack, action.

The following rules apply to all weapons with the Reload property

• Reload requires two hands unless otherwise stated. If dual wielding with a Reload weapon, the other item must be sheathed or dropped to Reload. Remember that drawing a weapon requires an object interaction.

• Reload as object interaction feels like a free reload with the free object interaction on your turn, and in most cases it is. But there are rare cases where you may only do one of two things, for example, opening a door and reloading.

• Reloading as attack means you use an attack action and one of your attacks is used to instead reload. If you have 3 attacks, you attack once, use an attack to reload, then attack again. Note that you must use either an attack or an action to reload, and if you do not wish to attack, then reloading your weapon takes an action.

• You must always reload your weapon before using it for a ranged weapon attack again. If your weapon is empty at the end of your turn, it must be reloaded at the start of your next turn if you plan to attack with it.

• Anything which grants an action, such as Haste or action Surge, can be used to reload. Furthermore, anything which grants a use object action as a bonus action, such as Rogue Thief's Fast Hands, can shorten an action or attack reload to a bonus action.

• You have the choice of reloading your weapon with any of the options that are slower. For example, a crossbow master using a light crossbow is able to reload using an object interaction, but can reload with a reaction, a bonus action, an attack, or an action.

• In order to use a Reload weapon as a reaction, your weapon must be loaded. You can't deploy a Reload weapon if it was unloaded at the end of your last turn and you didn't reload it.

Stagger

The weight of your weapon can stagger the enemy's defense, causing them a minor distraction as the massive blow of the weapon you wield knocks them off guard. When you miss a creature that you can see with this weapon without rolling a 1, but the attack roll is less than the target's AC up to an amount equal to your Strength modifier, the next attack against this same creature gains advantage. When you hit, you can choose to deal only your Strength modifier in damage and impart this effect voluntarily or push the target up to 5ft away from you in a straight line, and when you score a critical hit, you can do both. You cannot stagger targets 2 size categories larger than you.

Thrown

Thrown weapons are used to make a ranged weapon attack by throwing them at the enemy, dealing their melee damage on hit unless a different damage value is listed after the Thrown weapon property. They use Strength for attack and damage, unless the weapon has the Finesse property.

When attacking enemies beyond the normal range or with an enemy within 5ft of you, you suffer disadvantage to attack rolls. You may draw and throw a weapon as part of the attack. If you throw a weapon without the Thrown property, the weapon is treated as an improvised weapon and may only cause a small amount of damage.

Trip

When you hit with a trip attack, you deal only your Strength modifier in damage on hit, minimum of 1, and your enemy must succeed on its choice of a Strength or Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. If you land a critical hit, your weapon deals normal damage in addition to forcing your enemy to roll the saving throw. Enemies a size category larger than you gain advantage on this save. Enemies two size categories larger than you are immune to being tripped in this way.

Two Handed

This weapon requires two hands to wield, and your off hand cannot be used to wield another weapon, shield, or grapple. However, you may still use your off hand for somatic spell components. You can't use only one hand to attack with a two handed weapon.

Versatile

This weapon may be used with one or two hands and you can switch between them at any time. When used with two hands, you use the damage dice listed in parentheses.

Revised Fighting Styles

The fighting styles presented here are meant to mesh with the added weapon properties and improve their performance.

Armor

Untrained with armor represents wearing the armor for basic protection but not necessarily knowing how to wear it properly, or how to correct the fit if certain come loose or move incorrectly, worn too loosely or tightly, or the armor itself gets in your way as you don't know how to move with its articulations. You have disadvantage on any ability check, saving throw, or attack roll that involves Strength or Dexterity, and you can't cast spells.

Basic Training with armor means you know how to wear it properly, how to move with its articulations, and how to correct the fit. This is akin to normal proficiency.

Master Training with armor represents wearing armor so effortlessly, you become accustomed to its encumbrance. With light and medium armor, worn armor does not add to your encumbrance, and with heavy armor, you only count half the weight.

Medium armor

A combination of leather or animal products and metal to create increased protection without completely sacrificing mobility. It covers less than Heavy armor using the same materials and usually costs less due to a lighter manufacturing process and less material. You add up to +2 from your Dexterity modifier to AC when you wear medium armor. You can don medium armor in 5 minutes, while you can doff it in 1 minute.

• Chain Shirt This is a shirt of butted mail. It is easy to produce, due to less time simply twisting chain rings into place, rather than welding each link closed. As such, the chain shirt offers less protection than the hauberk but is lighter and more affordable.

• Ring Mail A series of closed rings stitched to a thick leather backing. This armor takes about as long as a Chain shirt to make and is similar in cost, but due to the combined protection of the leather backing and metal rings, offers greater protection than either one separately. Unfortunately, this combined armor is more restrictive.

• Breastplate Wearing just the breastplate of a suit of plate armor, this armor provides the easiest mobility of the medium armors and more protection than the chain shirt or ring mail. However, plate is expensive to make and thus has a greatly increased cost.

• Banded Mail The quintessential half-plate, also known as lorica, this armor is a series of metal ribbons banded together to form more complete protection. Banded mail is cheaper to produce than full plate, but is still quite a process, involving many steel plates and precise shaping.

Feat: Medium Armor Master

Combining the mobility of light armor and the protection of heavy armor, your skirmishing is unmatched and you gain the following advantages while wearing medium armor.

• Increase Dexterity or Strength score by 1 to a maximum of 20

• Wearing medium armor doesn't impose disadvantage on your Dexterity (stealth) checks

• In response to a critical hit, you use your reaction to attempt a Dexterity saving throw against a DC of 10 or half the damage taken, whichever is higher. On success, you are resistant to all damage for that attack.

Feat: Heavy Armor Master

You are so adept at using the thick padding and plates of your armor that you absorb damage that would kill a more lightly armored combatant. You gain the following advantages while you are wearing heavy armor.

• Increase Strength score by 1 to a maximum of 20

• All bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage you receive from non-magical sources is reduced by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus. If your armor is magical, you can apply this reduction to magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

• When an attacker that you can see deals non-magical bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage to you, you can use your reaction to take only half that damage against you. If your armor is magical, you can take half damage from magical sources of the same damage types.

Shields

Diskarmor

An esoteric weapon of gnomish invention, a diskarmor is a round shield attached to a length of chain mechanism that retracts quickly after the chain reaches its length to make essentially a shield yo-yo. The user can toss it out to wield it like a large flail, then retract it to be used as a shield again.

Diskarmor is a shield which has the following properties: One Handed, Melee d6, Entangle, Reach, Trip, Versatile d8. Diskarmor deals bludgeoning damage. A diskarmor is not considered a weapon.

Kite

Kite shields range in size between a skirmish and tower shield and combine the mobility and protection of both. They are as wide as the wielder's torso but extend downward with a point or oval extension to protect the legs, which can also be used offensively to knock an enemy off guard.

Pavise

A pavise is a lighter tower shield with a central spike to drive into the ground, or alternatively a set of legs that allow the shield to stand freely. While deployed, you can use it as cover. Unfortunately it is unwieldable as a normal shield, only able to be worn on the back. While wearing it, you are unable to equip any other shield, as its size makes wielding another shield ungainly and cumbersome.

While deployed, a Pavise can be knocked down if the enemy succeeds on an Athletics Check against your weapon DC. As a bonus action you can pick up a pavise and either deploy it again or don it on your back.

Spiked

A spiked shield is a blanket term for all weaponized shields, with spikes on the face and either a spiked or bladed edge. Somewhat cumbersome compared to a skirmish shield with the added weaponization, a spiked shield is hard to be stealthy and agile with.

Spiked shield is a shield which has the following properties: One Handed, Melee d6, Brace, Puncture, Thrown (20/60), Versatile d8. Spiked shield deals piercing or slashing damage. A spiked shield is not considered a weapon.

Skirmish

Skirmish shields come in a variety of shapes but are about the size of the user's torso. A Skirmish shield is large enough to provide better passive protection than the buckler, while still providing the agility missing with a tower shield. The master can extend this agility to even spell attacks.

Tower

This massive shield is as tall as you and just as wide; you more fight around it like a door than moving it with your body, like carrying a piece of mobile cover. The master shieldman can take cover at a moment's notice, effectively giving the enemy no target.

Ambush Weapons

Gauntlet

Spiked or weighted knuckles or claws worn as a glove, but which do not include heavy armor gauntlets unless specifically designed. A master's damage scales like Unarmed Strike, and can catch an enemy's weapon mid-swing, forcing it from their grasp using protected hands. The hand with which a gauntlet is affixed cannot be used to wield another weapon or shield, even if the weapon is Versatile.

Hidden Blade

An infamous, mechanical means to deploy a piercing dagger from under your wrist. This weapon makes use of complicated springs and pulleys to deploy, and can be done in an instant. The master can take full advantage of a surprise attack, ending a life as quickly as the blade deploys.

Interceptor

A generic term for any article of clothing which is used to deflect or intercept attacks, such as a thick wool cloak, silk scarf, war fan or umbrella. These are not weapons in the traditional sense, just durable personal effects, but can be just as effective in a duel as steel. While you may wear an interceptor as clothing, to use it, it must be equipped in your hand.

Wielding an interceptor gives you +1 Shield AC in addition to the effects below. The master can use an interceptor to catch missile weapons in flight, even protecting an ally.

Knuckle Axe

Designed much like brass knuckles, but with a blade that sweeps back toward the forearm, over the side of the fist. The knuckle axe resembles an axe head with no handle, and either 4 finger holes or a curved handle to rest inside a closed fist. Masters with knuckle axes learn to slash through soft targets much like a real axe, attacking two targets at once.

Side Baton

Often called a Tonfa, Riot Baton, or Arm Club, this defensive weapon is designed to deflect attacks with the forearm. It is a stout club with a perpendicular handle attached a third of the way down the length, allowing it to be swung out for a swipe, or extend the reach of a thrust. A master also flips the side baton to grab the long end, using the handle as a hook.

Axes

Halberd

An axe blade topped with a spike mounted on an 8ft long shaft, with a hook on the back side of the axe blade for pulling mounted combatants from the saddle. With at least Basic training, a halberd can be used with trip against mounted foes to pull them from the saddle to a prone position, and the master has advantage on this maneuver.

Handaxe

An incredibly versatile weapon and tool, the hand axe can be thrown, or used in melee, and can be used to trip your foe. The master learns the ability to bind and disarm.

Hook Sword

An exotic weapon made famous by the northern Chinese masters; a shortsword length weapon in which the tip forms a prominent hook, and which the knuckle guard features a crescent shaped blade. A hook sword can easily catch weapons and limbs, giving it superior control over an enemy's movements.

The master can also hook with another hook sword for a unique means of trapping and binding enemies, as well as striking further by forming a makeshift flail; letting go of one hook sword and swinging it by the hook of the other sword you are currently holding. Hooking the swords together, or unhooking and wielding them separately requires an object interaction.

Khopesh

This axe sword hybrid was made famous by ancient Egyptians. It is a sword built with a large crescent shaped protrusion about one third from the tip, and a hooked tip, forming a sort of question mark shape. It acts similarly to a battle axe, but is lighter and can more reliably cut with a larger surface area. A Master with the Khopesh has learned to use the hooked point to hamstring enemies with ease.

Poleaxe

An infantry weapon designed for use against armored foes, characterized by an axe on one side and a hammer on the other, tipped with a dagger-like spike from the top. It is typically on a 6 ft haft, shod with iron to protect it from damage. Though not long enough for a reach weapon, its style resembles that of a quarterstaff and axe combined. A master learns to use the weapon's iron shodding more actively, blocking attacks that would normally chop through the wood shaft.

Tomahawk

Invented and made famous by indigenous North Americans, featuring a slimmer blade more balanced for throwing, and an opposing spike or small hammer so both sides of the weapon were dangerous in flight.

Tomahawks are balanced for throwing further distances than any other axe, and the master has learned to throw them with great force, using the hammer or spike's weight to drive the thinner axe head deeper into a target.

Bludgeons

Light Club

A simple sap or a metal bar, many clubs designed for combat are designed to be thrown. Some light clubs are designed for policing, intended to be less-than-lethal, while others can be shorn in spikes or sharpened rings with a broad spiked tip. A master learns to be extremely accurate to a foe's head and knock them off balance.

Bar Mace

A stout, arm length iron bar lined with spikes or flanges, making the weapon more able to utilize weight and prying leverage to deal with armored foes. Designed for low skilled military soldiers, a master with the bar mace has learned to use the weight and odd angles to pry weapons from their enemy's hands, or ruin them in the process.

Flanged Mace

Made up of a metal head with small bladed protrusions, attached to a simple wooden or metal shaft, designed specifically to hammer and shred armored enemies. This weapon deals slashing and bludgeoning damage at the same time, for the purpose of overcoming resistances or immunities. Masters learn to punch through armor to damage those foes with ease, while providing opening for their allies.

Mallet

Typically a crafter's tool, in the hands of capable combatants, the unique qualities of a lighter, faster bludgeoning tool can provide unique opportunities for combat that heavier bludgeons miss. It consists of a wood haft inset within a large wooden cylinder. The wood construction means the mallet can be wide and soft, allowing for creative attacks in combat. A master can use the lightness of a mallet for a quick strike that sends the enemy reeling.

Morningstar

An infantry weapon in the form of a thick wooden shaft up to 8 feet in length, slightly fluted toward the top, with a spiked head and topped with a stout iron spike. This reach weapon gives infantry an advantage against armored opponents without needing to learn advanced techniques, enabling simple militias to protect themselves from armored enemies. A master with a morning star can absolutely ruin armor, rendering it less effective for its wearer.

Quarterstaff

A simple staff is a useful double ended bludgeoning weapon, whether shod and weighted like the English quarterstaff, or simply made of strong bamboo, like the Japanese bō. A master learns to strike with both ends as fast as a lesser trained combatant can with one end and gains increased defense from utilizing both ends of the weapon for blocking.

Bows and Slings

Greatbow

Much taller and stouter than the longbow, easily reaching 6ft-8ft in length and as thick as a quarterstaff. It launches specialized great arrows that are similar in size to a javelin. Due to its size, javelins and ballista bolts can be used as ammunition, but with disadvantage to the attack roll. Greatbow masters have learned to overdraw the stout poundage, sending enemies flying back. You must have a Strength score of at least 13 to wield a Greatbow.

Longbow

A larger bow than the shortbow, consisting of 5ft-6ft limbs, thick sinew cording bowstring, and a longer powerstroke. Perhaps a bit cumbersome in close combat and atop a mount, even so, a master archer has learned to steady their aim in any situation, ignoring distractions which may impede accuracy.

Recurve

Usually shorter, in the 3ft-4ft range, but with a longer power stroke than a shortbow of its size. Each limb curves away from the wielder at its ends, effectively loading twice the elastic power into the arrow. Due to the shorter overall size but higher draw, the master can load an extra arrow into the recurve and attack two different targets.

Shortbow

A simple bow about 3ft in length, more suited to close combat, as its smaller size lends itself to agile movement and quick targeting on either side of the body. Masters with the shortbow can make snap shots as quickly as any swordsman reacts to an opening.

Sling

A simple leather cup swung about the body to release a stone with circular momentum. You can launch anything that can fit in the cup; bombs, potions, poisons, even rounded stones, but do so with -1 to the attack. You may also put something into the sling and make a melee attack with it, swinging the weapon like a flail. A master maximizes their power in the throw, and can disable and disorient an enemy with precise shots to the head.

Wrist Shot

Instead of gathering circular momentum, this slingshot uses elastic material to launch anything a sling can without the penalty but also with the added melee capability. A wrist shot is a favorite of smaller folk, more easily able to conceal the weapon and able to make use of ranged attacks with smaller arms and generally weaker stature. Masters with wrist shots can bounce shots around corners and off hard surfaces to attack unseen enemies in cover.

Combat Blades

Greatsword

Often as tall as its wielder, spanning in the 5ft-6ft range with a 2ft handle and a lengthy, wide blade. The long blade, lengthy handle, and added weight make the greatsword one of the most damaging melee weapons in use, and can easily dispatch larger monsters with ease. A master finds the greatest weapon to use against a large enemy is the greatsword.

Katana

A single edged, slightly curved sword with a minimal guard called a tsuba and a longer handle than western or middle eastern swords, made famous in Japan. The longer handle and curved edge provide different leverage and more effective deflections. A master can dual wield with a Katana deflecting two attacks, or with two hands to a single katana, deflect even powerful blows with ease.

Longsword

A multipurpose cutting and thrusting weapon, with a wide guard for dueling, heavy pommel for balance, guard hooks for trapping, and a fine, rapier point. Generally, the blade is between 3ft-4ft, with a 10"-12" handle. Favored by spellblades for its ease of use in one hand or two, masters learn to become more accurate with the point, and with increased pommel weight of this weapon, learn devastating blows and critical strikes.

Montante

A type of greatsword made famous by western Europeans, prized for its reach and seen as the perfect weapon against multiple assailants. It is similar in length to a polearm, has similar reach and can even use similar techniques thanks to a smaller handle above the crossguard called a ricasso, and forward parrying hooks for easy defense without ever exposing one's hands. The master has learned the famous protection technique, keeping the blade moving about them at all times to be dangerous from all sides while surrounded.

Scimitar

A single-handed curved sword, similar in dimension to the longsword but with a single-handed handle and generally more weight in the blade than the pommel. But, unlike the longsword, the scimitar gets its agility from being single handed and its power from a curved, tip heavy blade. The master makes full use of a charge to make sweeping draw cuts that can devastate a waiting enemy.

Short Glaive

A glaive weapon with a shorter handle, usually in the range of length of a greatsword, but much lighter as the metal blade is smaller and more than half of the weapon is wooden haft. A short glaive is favored among elven armies as an effective long weapon that is both heavy hitting and light enough to use with finesse. Masters of the short glaive find the weapon is lightning fast; quickly taking advantage of an enemy's miss and turning it into an opening for themselves.

Crossbows

Heavy Crossbow

A large crossbow with steel prods, loading over a thousand pounds of force to allow it to punch targets like a knight's lance. Because of this power, you must prime a heavy crossbow by turning a winch to draw the string back. A master arbalist uses the crossbow's power to knock hard targets prone.

Hidden Crossbow

This mechanical, wrist-mounted crossbow is similar to a hidden blade. It can be reloaded with one hand, which must be the opposite hand it is equipped to. You do not suffer disadvantage to attack when an enemy is within 5ft of you. The master can launch a bolt in melee at the slightest distraction.

Light Crossbow

A simple, wooden crossbow holding the same power as a longbow, drawn by pulling a lever. A master learns to move and shoot so efficiently he can reflexively shoot moving targets at melee range, threatening the area near them as if he had a melee weapon.

Light Crossbows can be made into Repeating Crossbows which holds 6 crossbow bolts and costs 300gp. As long as it holds bolts, you can reload it by pulling the reloading lever (part of the attack action). As an action, you can reload 6 more bolts into the case. Larger cases holding more bolts can be made by a skilled bowyer.

Mauler

Two crossbows mounted in an X shape to a tiller which hold three bolts. Even with four prods, the bolts fly with less power than a hand crossbow and don’t group well at distance, but has incredible stopping power up close. Masters group the bolts at weak points with devastating effect.

Because the bolts spread over distance, the damage is only 1d4 on medium or smaller size targets outside normal range, as only the top bolt is on target. All three bolts hit Large and larger creatures at any range.

Portable Ballista

This small siege weapon is slow to reload with an enormous crannequin but the punch is worth the wait. It provides several thousand pounds of force to a javelin. Masters use flanking surfaces to pin a target with ease.

A deployable stand can be purchased for 150g. As an action, the weapon is mounted to the stand and can no longer be moved until it is unmounted with another action. While mounted, it can be reloaded as an object interaction.

Spinner

This gnomish invention launches discus blades with internal mechanisms instead of prods. It holds 10 blades, reloading as part of the attack. When depleted, as an action you reload 10 more. Masters can attack several targets at once by expertly planning their ricochet path.

Dueling Blades

Rapier

A 3ft-4ft, thin, tapered sword with a wide guard and extra weight in the handle for maximum control with the tip. Rapiers are prized as the pinnacle of finesse, and the ideal duelist weapon among fencers and warriors alike. Masters with this blade are truly the masters of the duel with unmatched reach, accuracy, deflection and parrying capability.

Saber

Slightly curved, single-edged, one-handed weapons often with a basket hilt and no counterweight, allowing expert deflections off the curve and increased defense of the hand. Examples include the cavalry saber, shamshir, and officer’s sword. The master finds the saber’s curve and basket hilt offer defense unmatched among other dueling blades.

Sai

A dagger sized weapon made famous in Okinawa, which consists of a sharpened metal rod with two forward swept, elongated prongs as a guard, making it easy to block and trap enemy weapons, but this template can be used for any parrying dagger designed primarily to block. Since only the tip is sharpened, the sai suffers from damage capability and versatility, but is easily the best light weapon for the duelist looking for added versatility and protection. The master uses the parrying prongs to disarm blindingly fast, and even gains passive protection from their stance.

Shortsword

Much like daggers, there are as many shortswords in the world as there are cultures who produced them. In general, they describe swords between 2ft-3ft in length, one-handed hilts, double and single edged and with a stabbing or curved point. Examples include weapons like a norseman seax, cutlass, gladius, kopis, machetes, messers... among many, many others. Their wide versatility and varied design mean that a master can find the perfect form to increase the damage they are able to impart.

Sickle

A short, crescent-shaped blade with the cutting edge on the inside of the curve, derived from the farming tool designed to harvest plants. While perhaps not originally intended for dueling, many a peasant has had to learn to protect themselves with the sickle, leading to a variety of dueling styles devoted to using the tool. A master with the sickle has learned to reach and grab with every attack and deal gruesome hamstring attacks which cripple.

Smallsword

A small, needle-like blade with a narrow profile and a fine tip, often given a pistol grip and a dome shaped guard to protect the hands while thrusting. The smallsword can fit between any gaps in armor, any sliding plates of plate mail, or even between rings of chainmail, making it a serious threat to even the most armored knight in the hands of a master duelist. The master has such control and pose that any distraction or detriment can be ignored with enough focus on the target.

Firearms

Gunblade

A single edged sword with a barrel built into the spine. It has a pistol grip handle and a trigger hidden in the guard, but other variations of gunblade may exist, such as a gun axe or gun spear, which all use these properties. A master can seamlessly use the blade and bullets of a gunblade.

Hand Cannon

A smooth bore, muzzle loaded, short range firearm that uses lead ball as ammunition, but the smaller barrel diameter and shorter length allows this weapon to be fired in melee. You do not suffer disadvantage to attack rolls with this weapon against an enemy within 5ft of you. A master learns to shoot from the hip, even while distracted or performing other tasks.

Firelance

This hollow-tipped lance is packed with gunpowder normally, but can be filled with other substances, such as poison, acid, or even alchemist fire. You squeeze a plunger to release the contents or ignite the gunpowder. The ranged attack is a 15ft cone, attacking all targets caught in the blast, but only one target you choose takes your ability modifier in damage. A master sweeps the fire in an arc, spreading the contents in a tight ring.

Pepperbox

A concealable firearm with bullets that fill two barrels on a swivel, firing twice before reloading. More barrels may be added by a master smith, but the weapon loses its conceal property and each added barrel increases the misfire range by 1. You do not suffer disadvantage to attack rolls with this weapon against an enemy within 5ft of you. The master can unload a hail of gunfire at close range by firing all barrels within seconds.

Turning the swivel requires an object interaction. As an action you reload two barrels.

Portable Cannon

This smaller cannon fires smaller iron balls than mounted varieties. If you miss, your cannonball makes an attack against the enemy where it lands with disadvantage, and deals only d10 damage. At least 15 Strength is required to wield the Portable Cannon. A master overpacks the cannon for a powerful concussive blast.

Wrist Rocket

A bracer shaped to ignite a gunpowder compartment, but which can be filled with other substances similar to a firelance. The ranged attack is a 15ft line 5ft wide, attacking all targets caught in the blast, but only one target you choose takes your ability modifier in damage. The master can deploy the fire at a moment's opportunity.

Flails and Whips

Heavy Flail

A large spiked metal bar like the end of a morningstar, which is attached by means of chain or swivel to a long handle, allowing one or two handed usage. The heavy flail is a fantastic anti-armor weapon, with both the ability to penetrate, and increased leverage with two hands. In the hands of a master, resisting the wrapped chain about one's legs or arms still carries the weight of the heavy spiked ball into another attack

Pole Flail

A pole weapon of hafted reach, though instead of an axe or blade, there is the spiked bar of the heavy flail at the end of a chain. The pole flail is primarily designed for field warfare, though the master learns to bind and wrap his opponents with control, disrupting their battle tactics with ease.

Meteor Hammer

A spherical or conical weight attached to a 15-foot rope or chain. Used as a more brutal form of a rope dart, the meteor hammer is capable of using circular movement to strike or bind, and using explosive lunges to strike at a distance. A master can twirl the weapon around them with varying angles and speed to strike any foe who enters their reach from any direction.

Nunchaku

Made famous in Okinawa, the nunchaku is two rods bound by a rope. By whipping around the body, the master can make dizzyingly fast attacks.

Whip

The whip is treated as a melee weapon with 15ft reach. You can use a whip to grasp unattended small objects, or any reasonable handhold within range and if possible, you can pull the object to you. A whip master has such control over his grasping whip, he can manipulate objects at will.

Chain Sword

A chain sword can be either a sword or a bladed whip. As a bonus action, you change between the forms of your weapon. As a sword, it is similar to a longsword. As a whip, it gains reach, utility, and a target entangled by you takes your weapon's damage. A master can quickly change between forms as needed to attack enemies near their entangled prey.

Hammers and Picks

Maul

A massive weapon near the size of a greataxe with an immensely weighted head. Mauls always gain advantage when rolling an attack to destroy an object. The weapon’s weight adds to its damage, and the master finds he can use the weapon’s mass to smash foes to the ground or send them flying.

Lucerne

A pole mounted, pronged hammer head for crushing blows on one side and a vicious hooking spike head for piercing and peeling armor on the other. The long haft allows the wielder to put devastating force behind the blows of this weapon. Lucerne masters learn to destroy shields and armor with relative ease.

Light Pick

A long, thin pick, mounted to a 18"- 24" haft, capable of precise, targeted piercing attacks that punch through armor with ease. Though not as stout as a war pick, the light pick allows more agile maneuvers, as well as balanced throwing. A master has learned to look for the perfect opening, placing the pick into soft targets in armor or between plates where armor is lacking.

Wall Pick

Similar in size to the light pick, with a longer, hooked spike to aid in climbing. In combat, the hook is used to grapple or disarm enemies while still able to puncture and pierce armor. A wall pick gives you advantage on climb checks and you can climb onto creatures any size category bigger than you. The master can grapple a foe as easily as they latch onto a wall.

War Pick

A weaponized miner's pick, famously invented by militant mountain dwarves, refined worldwide for use against armored infantries. The pick comes in many forms but is usually a battle axe sized weapon with a reinforced spike on one end, and a widened, sharpened scoop or hammer opposite the spike. The master can strike vital areas, puncturing deeply to bleed the target out over time.

Stiletto

A thin, round spike with a thin point and round cross section make it perfect for fitting between or outright puncturing through metal plates or rings. A master has learned to use the needle-point with such accuracy that his foes may as well not even be wearing armor.

Polearms

Guisarme

A sharpened and sturdy pruning hook, developed as a peasant weapon from modifying a farm tool. The curved hook of the blade allows the guisarme to be used as a tripping weapon or to pull foes from the saddle. A Guisarme is a favorite of common militias who will face cavalry in battle, as the masters with this weapon find they can pull a knight from the saddle with relative ease.

Lajatang

A rare and unusual Double Ended weapon, consisting of a three to five foot shaft and a crescent blade fitted at each end, with the points of the crescents pointing away from the haft of the weapon, giving it essentially 2 outward facing spear points on each end. Lajatang masters are extremely rare, but are a whirling dervish of crescent blades and points, dangerous from all sides.

Partisan

Much like a Glaive design, this pole weapon is essentially a shortsword blade mounted to a long haft, but keeps a wide cross guard at the base of the blade, trading sweeping cuts for defensive guards. The master Partisan uses the guard of his weapon like a shield at distance, and can even use it to protect allies.

War Scythe

Whether mounted horizontally like a traditional farming implement, or mounted vertically like a glaive, a war scythe has its roots in a peasant militia looking to arm itself in times of war. A scythe in the right hands can be useful in combat, though it takes a practiced master to be truly effective. The master uses the scythe's reaping motion to deal horrible slashing wounds to the foes they trip in combat.

Spears

Javelin

A light throwing spear balanced for flight but sturdy enough as a simple spear. A master can make an Olympian throw, puncturing armor or shields so deeply, the user must pry the tip remnants out or suffer ineffective equipment in combat.

Lance

Designed for mounted use, the lance has ample hand protection and a heavily weighted pommel to brace the spear to target a mounted enemy in a charge or foot soldiers at range. Due to its design, a lance imposes disadvantage on attacks against targets within 5ft while on foot, but while mounted, this weapon gains Penetrate. Masters leverage their mount's Strength into each attack, allowing for devastating blows that knock enemies to the ground with ease.

Pike

The pike is a long weapon, varying in size from 8 to 12 feet long, designed for foot soldiers in a phalanx formation to be used against an opposing line. It has a wooden shaft shod in iron, with a long spearhead affixed to allow deep punctures. A master with the Pike learns to fight as a phalanx soldier, using his ally as cover, but deftly striking around him without detriment.

War Spear

A 6ft spear with a thick shaft, shod in banding and with a hefty counterweight to provide maximum tip control one-handed, or a brutal bludgeon while wielded in two, making it also balanced for throwing. A war spear is the soldier's ideal weapon on the front line, and a master is a true war fighter, using spear techniques as ancient and true as the armies that employed them.

Ravenbeak

A war spear with a crescent shaped hook on one side of the tip, to be used to hook or slash. The added weight reduces its versatility, but the hook's utility more than makes up the difference. In the hands of a master, the beak can be used to redirect attacks into an enemy's allies, instead of hitting one's own allies.

Trident

Traditionally a fishing tool, the war trident is repurposed with little modification. Three prongs more reliably damage than an ordinary spear, and can trap and bind weapons like a sai. The master finds disarms with ease.

Throwing Weapons

Chakram

A sharpened discus or ring, typically curved for flight but sturdy enough to be used to slash in melee combat. Dangerous from all angles, the master can react quickly, throwing or slashing as a reaction to someone missing the mark.

Dart

A narrow, 12"-18" rod typically fletched like an arrow and weighted with lead in the needle tip to give it a bit of punch through armor. The dart is too fragile to be used in combat and can't be launched from a bow. It’s superior piercing capability and weighted tip allow the master to pin targets to walls if the conditions are right.

Net

A large or smaller creature hit by a net suffers the restrained condition until freed, and a net can use the Entangle property even if no one is holding it. Dealing 5 slashing damage to the net (AC10) frees the creature without harming it, ending the effect and destroying the net. A normal net cannot be used against category size Huge or larger enemies, but larger nets may be able to be crafted, so long as a means to deploy them exists, as a net this big cannot be wielded by Medium or smaller creatures. Master can expertly trap prey in a way that tangles the net as well, making it even harder to untangle from the mesh and break free.

Throwing Shot

Though not strictly their invention, the technique to throw an iron ball in combat was pioneered by the Orcs. The heavy iron in flight is fearsome; not many can stand up to the impact. A master is deadly accurate with the shot and is able to target an enemy's head to stun if they have an advantage. A creature with Strength less than 13 cannot wield a shot at all.

Throwing Star

Circular or star shaped metal disks made to be palmed together and thrown either with precision or a pepper of smaller strikes to disable an enemy before a followup attack. They often have a hole in the center to reduce weight and sharpened tips in a concentric pattern. The flat, small design of these weapons allows many to be palmed at once and thrown all together.

Throwing Knife

Small, balanced knives with a broad piercing tip and sharpened pommel, no longer than 4"-6". Easily hidden, these blades offer more range than throwing stars due to the higher weighted pommel. A master has the capability to dance in a quick circle, throwing knives at all foes around them.

Magic Spell and Ability Interactions with RME

There are some magic spells which produce a weapon, or weapon-like quality that the caster can use offensively like a normal melee weapon. It is important to clearly detail how this system interacts with those spells, and to what extent these summoned effects benefit from weapon properties from Revised Martial Equipment. You are considered Master trained with any weapon summoned with these spells, but their properties and master perks are listed below, different from the weapons which they resemble.

Credits

Homebrew by Commander Fayne, aka Veritoss43 on Reddit.

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